Creature vs. Creature: Shane Carwin Will Smash Frank Mir at UFC 111

Saturday, March 27 marks the day that Shane Carwin will fight Frank Mir for the UFC Interrim Heavyweight Championship.

Both fighters bring a lot of talent to the fight. While Frank Mir is known for being a submission expert, Shane Carwin is known for his heavy hands. Their contrasting styles should make for a great fight.

Shane Carwin boasts perhaps the most unique fight resume in the game: He has 11 wins in 11 fights, with none of them going past the 3:00 mark, and most of them are by KO. Also, they have all ended in the first round. Let's let that sink in.

Frank Mir's is more impressive, as it includes a heavyweight championship belt and an interrim belt, along with victories over Cheick Kongo, Tim Sylvia, Brock Lesnar, and Antonio Rodrigo Minotauro Nogueira.

Shane Carwin's main focus should be Frank Mir's excellent submission game. As most of us have seen, Frank Mir can pull submissions out of nowhere, and if he leaves his arm or leg hanging out like a certain heavyweight champ did against him, Carwin will probably find himself in a submission attempt.

To get him to the ground, which is Frank Mir's preferred battlefield, Mir will have to take Carwin down, which is easier said than done. Carwin has a background in collegiate wrestling, and has used it thus far in his career.

The one time he was taken down by Gabriel Gonzaga at UFC 96, Carwin was able to stand up, which is a big testament to how far he has come as a fighter.

Shane Carwin's biggest advantage is always going to be either standing up or in a dominant ground position, where he can take advantage of Frank Mir's fear of punishment.

Standing up, Carwin would win any slugfest. He has shown dominant punching power in all of his UFC fights. Most recently against Gonzaga, Carwin knocked him out with a love tap on the chin. That's just another testament to Carwin's incredible punching power. If he lands a clean shot on Frank Mir, it will be lights out.

My good friend and colleague, Robert Gardner, has a different take on how this fight will go down. Click here to see his opinion.

After an impressive second round KO over Frank Mir, Shane Carwin will go on to face Brock Lesnar at UFC 116.